The more NPTech changes, the more NPTech stays the same

A few of my last posts have been about how things have changed and all of the differences.  But in the midst of all these changes and progress, it amazes me how so many things haven't changed at all. Back in the late 90s I was hired at to do Software Support because I had an understanding of fiannce and accounting with a knack for technology.  The real need wasn't a technical one, it was a business process and financial management one.

Today it seems the same. We have better technology than yesterday, but I talk to so many nonprofits who understand technology is important but don't seem to know how to change their org to use it.  This was a big part of why YMCAs came together to help with the IT Alignment model.  We needed a way to express the types of changes needed as you mature how you use technology. You can read more about IT alignment on a special section of my blog.

But understanding how to mature your use of technology was just a first step in this for me. But the next step was in this was how to think this trhough in terms of your technology plan.  So the next evolution was to focus on how it relates to your technology plan. Focusing on how to pull it all in to a strategic plan just didn't seem to work. If your tech is just starting out in Chaotic or Reactive a strategic plan is just too much. And at some point a strategic plan just doesn't seem to be enough.  This lead to a session called Tech Smackdown: Tactical, Strategic vs Mission Planning.

But rather than tell you about it, here is a recording of a session I did on Tech Smackdown: Tactical, Strategic vs Mission Planning. This was recorded at the 2015 Legal Services Tech Conference.

Is Adoption today's implementation?

When I first started in technology, you needed technical aptitude and were forced to follow the parameters set by the tools. Technology projects were focused on the hardware needs, installation and setup. You needed to follow the implementation plan and then stick to the manuals.

But times have changed, many technology projects require very little technical knowledge and hardly focus on the tools at all. The strategy, process, buy-in, training and organizational change overshadow all of the technology.

The transition from inserting disk A to logging into the cloud, building software to leveraging platforms, hardware constraints to nearly limitless storage, code to config, wired to wireless, heavy tech skills required to consumerized tech, and on and on...   It isn't stopping.

Sidebar soapbox: just cause all this tech is changing doesn't mean tech staff are going away. Wrong. The demand is growing. Tech staff know how to integrate, match to process, innovate, configure, manage, train, drive strategy, select platforms, see the big picture, and on and on... It isn't stopping

Back to my point though. Adoption of technology in an org is now more important than implementing it. It isn't about installing it, it is about getting it understood. It isn't about the tool, it is about how it is used. It isn't about the email, it is about the message.  It isn't about the social media, it is about the conversation.  It isn't about the system, it is about the culture surrounding it. It isn't about functionality, it is about how it serves the mission.

Anyway, I think you get the point. Most technology projects are not about implementing the technology, they are about the organizational change required (ADOPTION!)


Luckily enough, the awesome, smart people over at Exponent Partners (who we worked with to adopt Exponent Case Management on Salesforce) wrote an amazing paper all about the adoption process! And they did it in a way which would be tough to recreate here on my blog. SO GO DOWNLOAD THE ADOPTION RESOURCE!

Then be sure to read this awesome article from Peter Campbell on a very similar topic! 

I did a presentation about this for Dreamforce regarding adoption of Salesforce for The Cara Program. So to have a bit of fun with it, I first did a parody of Bruno Mars Lazy Song.  My video recreation of the song is below along with my presentation.

Driving Organizational Change Dreamforce 2014 (Salesforce) from Steve Heye

Does it have to be Innovation or Sustainability?

Are sustainability and innovation enemies?

Is sustainability the opposite of innovation?

It always seemed logical to me, sustainability is working to keep things going while innovation is all about change. They appear to work against each other.

Recently though I attended an innovation workshop one day and a sustainability workshop the next day. And something clicked, which I had always known, but it brought it back. Innovation is required for sustainability. When things are going well or when you are trying to go beyond success, sustainability is the foundation you build. Sustainability is not about status quo, it is about actively taking measures to ensure stability and growth. Innovation is key to growth.

It struck me as interesting when I heard Thomas Kuczmarski say something like -Innovation isn't always looking for a solution. Often it is just understanding & looking at problems differently. Not about idea generation, identifying the right problem to solve is the key to innovation.

And when I think about sustainability it is being able to see your potential problems and reduce the risk of them happening. So the key to both is knowing the problem.

Thomas Kuczmarski continued to talk about innovation as not the same thing as continuous improvement. Innovation is all about creating unique benefits, differentiation from competition, being valued by the customer, creating economic value = key to innovation. Of course I had to translate those to nonprofit terms like mission impact, serving the constituent and such, but you get the drift.

Nonprofits have a responsibility to their donors and supporters to be responsible with the organizations funds. Too many nonprofits see a need & act on it or come up with an idea (innovation), without first understanding the sustainability, which can waste resources. Every organization should have a conversation about sustainability to gain understanding about where you are having impact balanced against the cost. Not to say efforts which cost a lot need to be cut, the trick is to have a balance of efforts and cost for sustainability.

You should know exactly where your organization's contribution to intended impact & excellence in execution = assessing mission impact. If your org is doing something with low impact & you aren't the leader, maybe look at off-loading that to a partner. (Thanks to Steve Strang, MPA from Spectrum Nonprofit Services for the sustainability thoughts in the training)

In the end innovation is a big key to sustainability. Innovation is just an idea until it is defined, actionable & has measurable outcomes (and oh yeah, sustainable).

(The thoughts in this post are based on presentations from Thomas Kuczmarski and Steve Strang. Big thanks to your thoughts and inspiration, it will have an impact on org and me.)

Are we consuming missional? (Inspired by @daveferguson)

Has mission become a commodity? Has it become so transactional, overused, cliche and ommon place that it is just another thing to cross off of our list of to-do's?

I know the focus off my blog is usually tech, but hear me out. And yes, I am building off of a faith based post from my church's pastor, you can read it here: daveferguson.org: Are We Just Consuming "Missional"?

First, I love this thought: "1. Missionary As Identity - If we want the people in our churches to engage in mission we must make sure they understand that being a missionary is not something you consume, it is your identity."

We could all learn a lot from churches that inspire us to not just change what we believe but actually change who we are.

How often do we just work toward or on our mission rather than owning it by letting of become part of who we are? Haven't you ever met that person that just oozes mission? It is like it is who they are. People like @hardlynormal who lived homelessness, @starfocus that lives for wildlife and so many more.

I like to think that I am missionary in my Christian faith, plus the YMCA mission of healthy living, youth development and social responsibility. I like to think that I don't just find technology to help support and  meet our mission, rather I find ways to allow our staff, volunteers and supporters to live the mission. I provide social media to allow their infectious spirit to spread. I work to shift our content on our website to not just promote our services and org, but rather to make the change happen in the people we serve. I look for technology solutions that allow our staff to live the mission rather than fight with tools. I push to have our technology goals tied directly to mission on top of supporting operations.

Yes Steve but you aren't telling us anything new. Well you are right, this isn't new. But it is easy to forget and loose sight of. Takes a few minutes to do a check to see if you are working on your mission or if you are living it.

As the new year starts, I am looking to become more missionary in my faith, work and family life. I don't want to take steps forward. I want to change who I am.

Become a Change Leader - Life gets in the Way part 7

So for the last 6 (or so) posts I have been talking about how life gets in the way and have been living it, which is why my posts are so sporadic. I hope I have shared some ideas about how you can reflect on the past, learn from mistakes, plan for the future, blah, blah, blah.

All of this is useless if you can't make the change happen. So what happens when you aren't the boss? when you dont have the authority to "make it so"?

You need to Become a Change Leader! No, don't worry you wont need spandex, tights or a cape, but that would be awesome!

This will not be an overnight change, but it will pay off. 

Rather than reinvent the steps to your superhero transformation, you should learn from a true Change Leader, Dahna Goldstein. 

Dahna recommends these steps:

1. Become an expert
2. Build relationships
3. Understand your organization’s context
4. Plan and communicate

Yep, just like that and presto! Ok, no not really presto. But the regular tactics wont work, you will need a real plan to become the Change Leader your organization needs.

Read the full article from the Awesome Change Leader, Dahna.

And that will conclude this series that seemed like it would never end because life was getting in the way.

Old habits die hard (Part 2 of 11 on Managing Tech 2 Meet Mission)

When I get up in the morning I have a set of "rituals" that should occur in order without interuption if my day is going to go well. My rituals involve coffee, email, facebook, coffee, shower (usually) and a little more coffee. And within each one of those, there is another set of rituals and patterns, like how many times I stir my coffee, order I dry myself off after shower, emails I look forward to everyday, websites I check each morning for fun (like woot), etc.

Now many of you may argue with how, when or why I do these things and you may even be right in your arguements. And I would imagine that all of us have these rituals.

Tea is better!

Here are the statistics saying that more people around the world like Tea and that it has more possible nutrition value. Plus it comes in many unique flavors and has such deep historical roots. So you need to switch to Tea today.

Um, no thanks. I enjoy coffee.

It's HOT!

It is too hot oustside for coffee. Why not enjoy a cold beverage? Maybe a soda? Or maybe put some ice in your coffee.

Um, no thanks. I enjoy coffee.

Anyway, I could really get carried away with my examples here but let me actually try to make sense for a minute and relate this to technology.

Often we come up with so lots of good logic, real facts, deep arguements, relevant reasons and whatever to get people to change their technology use, but it doesnt always work. Why is that? Um, no thanks. I enjoy coffee. (sorry had to say it again). It is because we are dealing with people. And people are complex. Then put those people together working somewhere to fight for a cause or mission they beleive in and it just gets more complex.

It is no longer as simple as, would you like to try tea instead today? You are asking people to change behavior, leave a comfort zone and risk failure, all while doing a job that is part of who they are.

Dahna Goldstein starts of her chapter on Managing Technology Change in the Managing Technology to Meet Your Mission book with a joke:

How many psychiatrists does it take to change a light bulb? Answer: just one, but the light bulb has to really want to change.

But that doesnt matter to me, I may never change these habits, rituals or patterns, because I am comfortable. It doesnt matter to me that there is a better razor, newer shampoo, coffee is bad for you, I cant buy everything on woot, there is a more effecient way to use my time, etc. Logic and reasoning are not my only motivators for my behavior, choices and ability to change.

One thing I have learned that works well and is reinforced by Dahna in the book is that you have to manage change on an ongoing basis, not for individual projects. As Dahna calls it, you need to work toward an adaptive organization.

I tend to get irritated when people ask, how can I convince my organization to start using social media or networking? Because often after you ask questions, they dont want to work on real change, they just want the cool tools. There is a lack of regular effort to build toward that adaptive organization. When you start to talk about it they dont want to talk about an integrated communication, fundraising, marketing strategy because their organization just doesnt work that way. Well my push back is then dont start something like social media until that starts to happen or else it wont be as succesful.

Dahna offers some awesome advice in the Managing Technology to Meet Your Mission book to begin to work on a culture change. To begin creating conditions for ongoing change she suggests nonprofit leaders should begin:

• Challenging assumptions and encouraging questions
• Encouraging experimentation
• Resisting complacency
• Decentralizing decision making

Dahna has obvious expertise and experience with this topic. Her chapter was fabulous.

Wrap it up

Managing change around technology is not a one time goal. It is all about a long term strategy to create an adaptive organization with real relationships across the organization. You can take steps alone, but the journey is easier together.

Over 11 weeks I am doing a themed series of blog posts. Each week I will write about a chapter of the book called Managing Technology to meet your Mission. This week is on the 2nd chapter about Managing Change leader for). Also dont forget that NTEN is also running an AWESOME 2 day online conference! You should totally buy the book and sign up. (In case you are wondering, I am volunteering to do this, I am not getting paid or in any other way reimbursed for this. I just love NTEN and their events.)

Coffee photo from scottfeldstein, light bulb from Crashmaster007 on Flickr